The present invention relates to a method of producing lead storage batteries.
It is known for the manufacture of lead storage batteries, to first produce essentially grid-shaped lead electrodes. These resulting plates, with prescribed dimensions, are provided with a so-called active mass that is coated into the apertures of the grid. In a known manner, stacks are formed from the plates accompanied by the interposition of separator material, whereby a specific number of plates form a cell unit. These plates of a cell unit are electrically interconnected. A plurality of cell units are placed into appropriate housings or cases, similarly appropriately electrically connected, and finally connected to a positive and a negative pole. The storage battery must then be filled with acid and charged. The storage and the transport can take place in various states, for example after being charged the battery can then be emptied and is thus in a non-filled charged state. The battery can also be stored or transported in the filled and charged state.
The active mass is a pulpy, pasty mass that must cure accompanied by the addition of moisture. This takes place by the slow addition of water over a period of many hours. On the average, a curing process can take up to 24 hours.
This curing requirement stands in the way of endeavors to automate the manufacturing process of lead storage batteries as much as possible in an on-line operation.
It is customarily known to provide the lead electrodes with the active mass, to stack them and to deposit them for curing. The finished cured electrodes are then again introduced into the treating process, are provided with separator materials, are stacked, and for producing the storage batteries are further processed in the above described manner. If the curing phase is shortened, this can significantly adversely affect the later electrical characteristics of the storage battery. For example, if the plates have too great of a moisture content at the point in time when they are provided with separator material, this can lead to later shrinkage of the separator material due to change in moisture and can lead to increased ion drift from the plates into the separator material, which can significantly negatively influence the high-rate or deep discharge characteristics of a storage battery.
Starting from this state of the art, it is an object of the present invention of provide a method of producing lead storage batteries that without time losses enables an on-line operation and an as extensive as possible automation during the manufacture of lead storage batteries with good electrical characteristics. Furthermore, the invention provides an apparatus for carrying out the method, and a storage battery of a new generation is characterized.